Second Chances
by GoldenJezebel
Summary: A rewrite of the HODS ending... Some rules are meant to be broken. Willie x Maggie MATURE content  Now complete
1. Bending the Rules

**CH 1: Bending the Rules**

"I want to go see him."

"Maggie, _no --_ the doctor thinks it's best if you put your past behind you, so--"

"To hell with the doctor's orders! Willie's our friend, Jeff, and I can't just stand here while he's wasting away in some hospital!" Placing a hand over her eyes, Maggie wearily sustained, "I'm so sorry, darling, but I'm still having a whole lot of trouble grasping our current situation. I know it's not your fault, but perhaps if you hadn't shot that cross bow..."

"Maggie, Willie was protecting Barnabas! It's his own damn fault that he got in the way!"

The young governess glared up into Jeff's eyes defiantly. "I don't believe that for a second -- Willie was the one trying to warn me the entire time that I was in danger! You shot him for _no_ good reason, Jeff, and now he could die!"

Jeff ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair in what appeared to be frustration, his brows drawing inward as he stubbornly shook his head. "Maggie, you know it was an accident -- I already feel so damn guilty for having killed so many of our friends, so please...not another word."

"Just five minutes" she pleaded. "Just five minutes is all I need -- that's the very least I could do for him since he tried to save both our lives." Upon this declaration, Maggie placed a hand on her boyfriend's arm before giving him a beseeching look with her haunting amber eyes.

Grunting, Jeff moved away from her before begrudgingly nodding his head. "Alright, alright" he agreed, "but you'd better stay true to your five minutes bargain -- the sooner we get out of Collinsport, the better."

Maggie nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, darling, I haven't forgotten..."

_'Not by a long shot.' _

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The moment Willie Loomis opened his eyes, he thought he'd died and gone straight to Hell. An indescribable ache was consuming him, starting from his middle and extending all the way to his fingers and toes.

Releasing a pained moan, Willie cast his bleary gaze over toward the wooden door to his left, all the while pleading that someone -- _anyone_ -- would come in and relieve him of his distress.

_'They shoulda just let me die'_ he thought, bitterly shaking his head. _'Who woulda cared enough ta put me in here, anyway?'_

"Mr. Loomis?"

He immediately looked up. "Yeah? You my nurse, or somethin'?"

"You have a visitor, sir" the woman persisted, purposely ignoring his question. "A Miss M--"

"Maggie" Willie finished, gazing upon the young beauty in absolute disbelief. "W-w-whatcha doin' here, uh? You should be in bed restin' or somethin'."

Maggie smiled. "Willie, you've been out for nearly an entire week -- I'm all better now...really, I am." Making sure that the nurse had properly shut the door, the governess then strode across the bleak little room and had a seat at his side. Taking his hand in hers, Maggie carefully avoided the IV in his wrist as she gently ran her fingers across his knuckles. "I promised Jeff that I'd hurry, but I just _had_ to see you, Willie -- I never got to properly thank you for what you did for me" she softly admitted.

Willie modestly shrugged his shoulders. "Aw, that don't matter ta me, Maggie... I know you woulda done stuff for me, so I was just bein' a good friend, that's all." As an afterthought, he added, "Why the rush, anyway? Since when did that Jeff start actin' like your keeper?"

"Since I agreed to marry him... We're leaving Collinsport tonight."

The color drained from Willie's cheeks. _"Tonight?_ Aw, but Maggie, that means I'll never get ta see ya, again -- n-now I know that we ain't been the greatest a' friends or nothin', but other than you, I ain't got nobody here ta care for me. I-I mean...well...I just ain't got no friends, ok, Maggie? I don't wanna die here alone..."

Now it was Maggie's turn to blanch, her hand grasping Willie's tightly in her own as she argued, "No, that's not going to happen, Willie, it's _not!_ The doctors all seem to be very optimistic about your full recovery -- you're very lucky that the arrow didn't pierce your heart!" Giving him a pained look, she added, "Jeff won't like us postponing our stay any more than we already have... Not even for you, our unsung hero. Please understand that I'd like to stay here with you, but I can't."

Willie's chapped lips curled upward into a considerably forced smile. "Aw, hey, don't you worry 'bout me, Maggie -- I can take care a' myself, an' I know you got places ta be, so please...don't let me keep ya."

"Oh, but --"

"Miss Evans?"

Maggie looked up toward the door, only to find the nurse that had escorted her earlier standing there before them. "Yes?"

"Mr. Clark insists that you two must be going, now" she revealed, the tired lines on her face creasing as she spoke. "I'll leave you two alone to say your goodbyes."

Maggie snorted at this news, yet she obeyed Jeff's request and rose from her seat. Gazing down upon Willie with sorrowful eyes, she apologized, "I'm sorry, Willie, but I have to go now... I promise that no matter where life takes me, I'll never forget you or your kindness. _Ever."_

Bending over at the waist, Maggie placed a chaste kiss against the servant's forehead before rising with tears in her eyes. "Goodbye..."

Willie looked up at her in astonishment, clearly surprised by the true magnitude of Maggie's appreciation. Now more than ever he longed to take her in his arms and never let her go, but he settled on giving her a weak wave as his final farewell, instead. The tearful look that Maggie gave him made his heart clench, but he wasn't about to believe that she might actually care about him -- _nobody_ cared about him...

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"What do you _mean,_ you're not going?"

Maggie sighed. "Look, I'm very sorry, sweetheart, but after visiting with Willie, I've realized that he's far worse off than we originally thought. I can't just leave him when he acted so upset over our leaving -- I'd be a terrible friend if I went with you to Boston before he fully recovered."

Jeff gave her a warning look. "Maggie, I don't know what Willie said to make you feel this way, but you shouldn't listen to him -- he _doesn't_ need us."

"How can you say that? Do you honestly mean to tell me that you'd abandon a friend of yours if he was ill?" Maggie demanded, her arms folding stubbornly across her chest.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Maggie, if we stay, you may end up in the hospital again, and I'm not _about_ to let that happen!"

"But Barnabas is _dead,_ Jeff! We're safe again!" Maggie insisted. "Just stop giving me a hard time and let me make my own decisions!"

Jeff gave her a long, cold stare. "And what the hell is _that_ supposed to mean, Maggie? I'm just trying to watch out for you!"

"I know, I just... Sorry." Bowing her head, the governess wearily sighed before sustaining, "I know that deep-down you're right about all this, Jeff, but I'm scared for Willie. Can't you understand my unease over leaving him behind?"

Jeff nodded and pulled Maggie into his arms. "Yes, yes, of course I can, sweetheart -- if this is what you _really_ want, then I suppose I can postpone our leaving for another two weeks."

"Oh, Jeff...you really mean it?" Maggie breathed, her eyes now alight with gratitude. When he nodded, she threw her arms about his neck and thanked him profusely.

Jeff didn't know why, but somehow his fiancé's blatant concern for Barnabas Collins' former servant irked him tremendously...

A/N: Hey, guys! After finally getting to watch HODS for the first time, I was very dissatisfied with the ending, thus why I decided to do a re-write. :) Barnabas may or may not reappear…I'm not tellin'. ;0P


	2. Self Control

**CH 2: Self-Control**

The scream was the first thing Maggie heard, her eyes widening as she leapt up from her seat in the waiting room and began racing toward the ruckus with several other nurses.

"What's going on!?" she demanded, absolutely terrified. "That was Willie's scream...I _know_ it was! What's happening to him!?"

Making sure that Maggie stayed back, one of the nurses sedately explained, "Over the past few days, Mr. Loomis has been having some rather vivid night terrors. Don't worry, though, ma'am, everything's completely under control."

"Well it doesn't _look_ that way!" Maggie irritably observed, her hand flying over her mouth as she continued to watch the horrifying scene unfolding before her. Willie was shakily standing on his bed, his eyes wide and hackles raised as he backed away from the oncoming brigade of nurses.

"You stay away from me, ya hear? If I don't get outta here, he'll get me, ya understand? _He'll get me!"_ When two of the nurses managed to seize him by the arms, he screamed, "Oh God, didja see that? There's a bat outside! Don't let 'im get me, _please!"_

"Willie, _stop_ it!" Maggie pleaded, no longer able to stand idly by as she pushed past the nurses and grabbed his hands. "Barnabas is _dead, _Willie -- you're just imagining things!"

"Oh no, I ain't imaginin' nothin', and you damn well know it, Maggie -- Barnabas is here, right outside that window!" Willie argued, his bottom lip trembling as he cast a cagey glance in that direction.

While Maggie distracted him, one of the orderlies took this opportunity to inject him with a sedative in the rump.

"Ow, that smarts! Wait til the honeymoon ta get rough, will ya?" Willie grumbled, still feeling rather jittery as he waited for the medicine to take its full effect.

Forcing him to get on his knees, the nurses then pushed the servant down on his back so that he could hopefully get some rest, Maggie watching all of this with a tremendous ache from deep within her soul.

"Nurse Bobbitt?" she beseeched, careful to take the head nurse into the corner of the room, "Will Willie be ok? I've never seen the poor thing so terrified in my life -- it's almost as if he were going completely insane!"

The redheaded nurse nodded grimly. "I'm not gonna lie to ya, kid -- Dr. Woodard wants to ship Mr. Loomis off to Wyndcliff since his case is a tad more than we can handle at the moment. What he really needs most right now are friends, though, so stay close, will ya?"

Maggie nodded grimly. "Yes, of course...I won't leave him." Biting her lip, she added, "But Wyndcliff, you say? Don't you think that's a bit extreme?"

"Why, not at all -- you just said so yourself that the guy's a few screws loose, didn'tcha?"

"Well yes, but...oh, _surely_ there's a better way!" Maggie insisted forlornly. Her eyes suddenly brightening, she continued, "But wait...there _is_ a better way! Whenever I worked as governess for the Collins family, I would often see Willie outback by the river that cuts across the estate. We weren't really all that acquainted at the time, but he did confide in me that he found the place to be very medicinal, so perhaps if I took him there tomorrow..."

"Miss Evans, _please_ -- even if Dr. Woodard allowed this, I honestly don't think that --"

"Oh, _please"_ Maggie begged, her amber eyes shining with an inexplicable desperation. "I can't give up on him, Nurse Bobbitt -- _please_ let me try to save him like he saved me."

The redheaded nurse sighed. "Oh, very well -- I'll discuss it with Dr. Woodard within the hour. If you're allowed to do this, I'll sendja the nut and you two can do whatever you want tomorrow morning."

After thanking Nurse Bobbitt from the bottom of her heart, Maggie turned back toward Willie's resting form and smiled. One way or another, she was completely determined to help him find a normal life, again.

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"How do you feel?"

"What are ya, my psychiatrist, now?" As soon as these acerbic words left Willie's lips, he couldn't help but wince, his voice becoming a defeated monotone as he mumbled, "Gee, I'm sorry, Maggie -- I know you're just tryin' a' help me out an' all, but I guess I'm not in the mood ta discuss it anymore, ya know? Day in an' day out I got people askin' me 'bout my health, so I guess I just snapped, or somethin'." Now gazing out across the water, he added, "I'm real grateful to ya for doin' this for me -- I wish I hadn't treatedja so badly before this whole mess."

Maggie smiled. "Well how do you mean, Willie? I blamed most of your behavior on the bottle, not you."

Willie felt his cheeks darken to a faint ruddy hue at this declaration, his shame over his memories and Maggie's ignorance causing his heart to clench painfully within his bosom. Sometimes he liked to watch Maggie up in her room (even during her most private moments), as much as that now chagrined him to admit. He'd also constantly make lewd passes at her when she'd stop by his loft -- unfortunately, it was usually because of an errand or to find the Collins brat, but Willie had often liked to fantasize that she came by because she desired him as much as he desired her.

Realizing that he still hadn't answered Maggie's question, Willie shrugged his shoulders and tossed a pebble out into the river with a subtle 'plop'. "Ah, nothin'...just for everything, I guess" he admitted. "But you? You're a real swell person, Maggie -- I-I mean, nobody else up here ever gave me the benefit of the doubt, but you were always nice ta me..._real_ nice. I guess you kinda made my job not so bad, or somethin'."

Maggie smiled, clearly not having anticipated his kind, yet bumbling string of words. "You've made my stay here more enjoyable, too, Willie. Well...maybe not at _first,_ but I still feel that you've been really good to me." Now gazing down at her hands she added, "When I was a little girl, I'd always dream of getting to live on this estate. The house was _so _romantic to me...but then again, I suppose _anything_ would be romantic to a kid who'd only been wooed by means of finding toads in their lunchbox."

Willie smirked. "Guess it ain't so great ta ya anymore, though, huh? Um...Collinwood, I mean."

"No" Maggie agreed, "but I've still met some really wonderful people here..." At this statement, the governess couldn't help but feel tears forming along her lashes, her gaze dropping down to her feet as she sorrowfully shook her head. "Poor Elizabeth...she and David have only each other, now."

"I don't wanna talk about that" Willie pleaded, wincing as he began to absently wring his hands.

Noticing this, Maggie weakly apologized, "No, of course you don't -- I'm sorry, Willie." Sighing, she added, "I wouldn't have even considered working here if it weren't for Pop, so I guess he's the one I should be thanking. Collinwood really _was_ a dream come true before this tragedy, after all..."

"Yeah...your pop was a real good man. I-I'm sorry I never gave my condolences, or nothin'" Willie mumbled.

"It's alright -- I never really thought you two were that well-acquainted, anyway" Maggie insisted. Now giving a humorless laugh, she observed, "I'm sorry...I'm not a very good conversationalist, am I? The whole point of my taking you out here was to make you happy..."

Willie gave her a meaningful look. "But I _am_ happy, Maggie -- nobody else woulda even considered takin' me outside a' that sterile hellhole, so thanks a lot. I-I mean it. 'Sides" he added, "I never really was a big talker, anyway, so there ain't no need ta apologize. Speakin' of apologies, I normally don't give 'em since I was born an' raised in New York, but here goes, anyway: I'm real sorry for all that had ta happen to ya -- you _do _know that, don'tcha? I never wanted ta help Barnabas, but I just couldn't help myself!" At this declaration, Willie threaded his fingers through his bangs and heaved a shuddering sigh.

Maggie placed a hand on his shoulder and immediately shook her head. "Willie, I don't blame you at all...you did everything you could to help me. You couldn't have prevented Barnabas from coming to Collinsport, so please stop beating yourself up about it!"

Willie gave a humorless chuckle. Oh, if only she knew...

Rather disquieted by the direction in which their conversation had now taken, Maggie then decided that she would have to do something about it. Her features brightening in accordance with her thoughts, Maggie rose to her feet and began taking off her high-heeled shoes as Willie gave her a peculiar look.

"Hey Maggie, whaddaya doin', uh? I didn't think I was a good enough friend ta get the strip tease treatment just yet."

Maggie gave him a coltish look. "Willie Loomis, have you no shame? I'm just going to go wade in the river!" Tossing her shoes off to the side, the governess then stepped into the creek with a delighted squeal. "Oh! It's _very_ cold, but in a good way!"

"You're nuts" Willie decided, smirking as he laid back on the embankment and folded his arms beneath his head. "Ya sure _you_ ain't the one supposed ta be in the hospital?"

In response to his jesting remark, Maggie kicked up a torrent of water that went streaming directly into his lap, the servant releasing a startled cry as he scrambled up to his feet and scowled.

"Aw, dammit Maggie, I ain't got a change a' clothes!" Willie whined, the traitorous hints of a smile forming along his lips as he crossed his arms. "Why don'tcha come outta there, uh? You're behavin' worse than that bratty David Collins!"

Maggie childishly stuck her tongue out at him. "Am _not!_ Where's your sense of adventure, Willie? Get that 'no fun' stick out of your butt and come in here with me!"

"Wha?" Willie snorted. "Aw no, I ain't fallin' for none a' that reverse psycho-anatomy cock an' bull!"

"Willie, it's reverse psychology..."

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't ask ta be taught nothin', Ms. Governess -- I'm just fine standin' right here with my soiled breeches" Willie muttered, stuffing his hands into his pants' pockets as he sulkily watched her.

Continuing to wade about like a child, Maggie scooped up two handfuls of water before launching them over toward her unsuspecting bystander with all her strength.

"Maggie!" Willie shrieked, "Dammit, that's _cold!_ Whatcha tryin' a do, kill me!?"

Giggling, Maggie playfully shot back, "Oh, be a man, Willie! You're not made of sugar, you know...I'm afraid that honor goes to me!"

"Feh, yeah right -- maybe rotten sugar" Willie muttered, the corners of his lips curling upward into a small grin as he watched her wallow back toward him. "What, so now that I'm completely wet you're ready ta behave? Gee, thanks."

Laughing, Maggie returned warmly, "Well if you'd prefer that I stay in the water, I think I can manage to abide by your wishes..."

"Alright, sounds great" Willie agreed. Before she could even reply, the servant took Maggie by the arms and sent her sprawling back into the river with a tremendous splash.

Choking and sputtering, the sopping wet governess gave a shriek before screaming at the top of her lungs, "Willie Loomis, I am going to murder you in your sleep, bring you back to life, and then murder you, again! This isn't a water friendly dress!!"

"I can see that" Willie gibed, snickering as Maggie gave yet another ireful shriek. His laugh was warm and true, starting at a low chuckle before rising up into a full-blown guffaw. Even as a child Willie had never truly been happy, so now that he was actually enjoying himself, he was going to take the opportunity to laugh every chance that he got.

Leaning over at the water's edge, the servant held out his hand for Maggie to take, but amidst her thirst for revenge, she tried to pull him into the river, instead. This little maneuver failed to succeed because of Willie's stronger grip, Maggie shrieking as he effortlessly yanked her up out of the water and into his arms.

By this point both friends were laughing uncontrollably, Maggie promising swift retribution as Willie held onto her wrists in order to keep her from playfully pushing him back toward the creek. After a few moments of this, Willie's gaze couldn't help but soften to a warm, affectionate glow. Allowing his eyes to travel from Maggie's down to her full, soft lips made Willie's heart ache with longing, his eyes then trekking back up toward hers as if mentally pleading with her to let him touch her.

The intensity of Willie's scrutiny was beginning to frighten Maggie, her grasp tightening about his forearms as she felt her heart continue to hammer almost painfully within her bosom. Briefly closing her eyes so as to block out his knee-weakening stare, the governess jumped the moment she felt his fingers brush adoringly against the svelte curve of her cheek. Now lifting her gaze to his, Maggie hitched in a breath as she felt him trail his hands down her back before pausing just above the gentle curve of her derriere.

Pressing his forehead to hers, Willie then maneuvered himself so that he was nuzzling her cheek, Maggie's lashes fluttering closed as he placed a sweet kiss against the corner of her alluring mouth.

A fluctuating warmth rippled through Maggie's lower belly in accordance with this simple act of affection, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she felt Willie repeat his earlier actions to the other side of her quivering mouth.

Dazedly allowing him to trail his painfully sensual kisses along her chin, Maggie gave a sharp intake of breath the moment she felt the plush of his lower lip brush hesitantly against her own.

Placing a hand against Willie's chest, Maggie finally managed to push him away, all the while shaking her head with what appeared to be fear in her eyes. "No" she whispered, "we can't do this, Willie..._I_ can't do this."

Willie gave her a pained look. "I-I'm sorry, Maggie -- I-I-I thoughtcha knew how I felt about ya, a-and I just--"

"Never mind that right now" Maggie urged, "Let's just get you back to the hospital...you must be exhausted."

In normal case scenarios, Willie would've cracked a joke or two about the hilarity of them returning in sopping wet clothes, but now he couldn't even find it in himself to crack a smile. How could he when it was clear that Maggie was nothing short of repulsed by him? He was a fool to actually think that she might care about him as much as he did her...

**A/N:** blush I guess you could tell I was in a romantic-ish mood when writing this cuz of all the sugary goo, but I couldn't help myself:-P Oh well, hopefully it was good enough for your reading standards – more to come! ;0)


	3. Drastic Decisions

**CH 3: Drastic Decisions**

Maggie stood before her bedroom mirror and scrutinized her reflection, her lips curling downward into a significant frown once she realized that her skirt was still a tad wrinkled. She didn't see why it should matter so much since she was just going into town, but somehow...she wanted to feel pretty.

"Going somewhere?"

"Oh!" Whirling around, Maggie gave a relieved laugh upon spotting Jeff in the doorway, her tone warm and dulcet as she greeted, "Well good morning, darling -- I was actually just on my way out, but..."

"To see Willie Loomis?" Jeff fished, his cold eyes hardening as he slowly entered the room.

Maggie gave him a questioning look, clearly not understanding. "Well no, actually, I'm not, but even if I were, what difference would it make?"

Her tone was completely challenging, and unfortunately for the governess, this didn't go unnoticed by Jeff. Stuffing a hand in his pocket, he shifted his weight toward his left leg before giving a humorless laugh. "Maggie, please get serious -- do you really think that I'm a complete nincompoop? Even a man with half a brain cell could figure out that you two've been spending an awful lot of time together, lately."

"And what of it? That's called being a good friend, Jeff -- perhaps one day you'll actually understand that" Maggie challenged, her eyes narrowing as she turned toward her dresser and reached for a pair of gold earrings.

As she put them on, Jeff gave a derisive snort before grousing, "And maybe one day _you_ will actually understand what it means to be a good girlfriend! Willie may be sick, but what about me, Maggie? What about _me!?"_

She narrowed her eyes. "Well what _about_ you, Jeff? Would you like it if I attached myself to your hip every waking moment? Or perhaps you'd prefer it if I coddled and fed you like the baby you are?"

"Maggie..."

"No, you listen to me, and you listen good, Jeff Clark -- if I want to visit Willie Loomis, nobody can stop me but myself, and do you know why?" Not even waiting for a response, she continued, "Because I'm a woman with my _own_ thoughts, my _own_ feelings, and I'm going to choose who I can and cannot see because only _I_ am in charge of me! Just because I agreed to marry you didn't mean that I was handing myself over to you like a boxed product!"

"But Maggie, I..."

"No! Shut up, Jeff, just..._shut up!"_ Bursting into tears, the governess pushed past him with the force of a woman on a mission, her voice shaking as she called over her shoulder, "And just for your ridiculous display, I've decided that I _am_ going to go see Willie -- at least he treats me like an actual human being opposed to somebody's chattel!"

As Jeff listened to the furious clip-clopping of Maggie's shoes, he combed a hand through his hair and wondered what on earth he'd done to deserve such a rebellious woman.

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"What do you _mean,_ he's not here!?"

Nurse Bobbitt sighed, now placing a file onto the front desk as she explained, "It's just like I said, Miss Evans -- Mr. Loomis is no longer with us."

"Oh, God..." Maggie placed a hand over her mouth, her head shaking wildly back and forth as she pleaded, "You can't tell me that Willie's gone after his significant recovery -- tell me he's alive, _please!"_

Nurse Bobbitt raised a brow. _"What?_ Of course he's alive, kid! What I meant was we sent Mr. Loomis back to the estate so he could clear out his things -- nobody went with him, so you can go help him out, if you'd like."

"Oh...well yes, yes of course... Thank you!" Maggie acknowledged, barely able to contain her stunned excitement as she headed for the exit. Willie was finally well again, so her only remaining obligation was to reintroduce him to a normal life.

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"Willie?"

Peering into the stable, Maggie cautiously entered the premises, inwardly wondering why on earth she had yet to find the servant anywhere on the estate. Perhaps Nurse Bobbitt had been misinformed?

Screwing her lips downward into a displeased frown, Maggie glanced about her at the cobwebbed posts as she continued to make her way through the seemingly abandoned stables. Hadn't there once been horses there? She could've sworn having seen them before...

"Maggie?"

Crying out, the governess whirled around in order to intercept her caller, her harrowed gaze softening once she realized who it was. "Willie" she breathed, "Oh, God, Willie, it's so good to see you back and well, again -- for a moment I actually thought you were dead!" Rushing forward, Maggie threw her arms about the stunned servant's neck before pulling him in for a fierce embrace.

Coughing, Willie wheezed, "Maggie, y-you know I always like ta see ya an' all, b-but you're _chokin'_ me!"

"Oh! Well I'm sorry!" she apologized, barely able to prevent the laughter from escaping her lips as she placed her hands on his shoulders. Smiling warmly, she added, "You have _no_ idea how worried I was when I found out you weren't at the hospital -- I thought something dreadful had happened to you!"

Willie gave her a disbelieving look. "You" he pointed to her, _"you_ were worried about me?"

"Well why wouldn't I be worried?" Maggie demanded. "You're my friend, Willie, and friends worry about each other."

Willie looked at her, by now genuinely confused. After yesterday's little incident, Maggie had insisted that if they were to continue seeing each other he had to respect the fact that she was Jeff's girl, so why was she acting as if nothing had ever happened?

Just when he was about to call her out on this, a tremendous clap of thunder sounded and shook the stable at its base, Maggie scooting slightly closer to him as torrents of rain soon followed.

"Oh, no" the governess whispered, "it looks like we're stuck in here until the storm lets up..."

"Seems that way" Willie agreed, by now barely able to keep a goofy grin from forming along his lips as he caught Maggie peering out of one of the small windows. "You want me ta send for Jeff so he can come an' take ya home?"

Maggie made a face at the mentioning of her fiancée. "No, thank you -- I'd actually feel much safer if you didn't leave, so please...don't go."

For the first time that evening, Willie sensed that something was wrong, his feet shifting anxiously about as he asked, "I-is somethin' the matter, Maggie? Ya don't really seem like yourself..."

The governess bowed her head, yet she said nothing.

"Maggie?" Willie winced. "Aw, jeez, Maggie, I didn't mean ta upset ya or nothin' -- I-I'm just real worried aboutcha and how you're holdin' up, so I..." He paused, now realizing that she was shaking. _"Maggie?"_

Uneasily moving over to her, Willie put a trembling hand on her shoulder before forcing her to face him. The sight that welcome him made his heart hurt like a blade through flesh, his lips pressing into a grim line upon spotting her tears. "Oh, Maggie" he beseeched, "what'd I do, uh?"

"Nothing" she whispered, her bottom lip quivering as she wiped at the charcoal-gray splotches on her cheeks. Taking in a shuddering breath, she explained, "It's just that...that you seem to care more than my own fiancée, and that really hurts... In fact, it hurts more than anything I've ever felt before. I feel as if Jeff just sees me as an object to own, and that just feels like a big slap to the face -- I'm beginning to wonder if he even loves me, anymore..."

Willie bit his lip. "Oh...I-I-I'm real sorry for bringin' it up, Maggie -- I shoulda just minded my own business."

"No...I needed to tell someone" she insisted. "You really _are_ a good friend, Willie."

Somehow the word 'friend' pained the servant more than he'd ever willingly admit, his hands clenching at his sides as he gazed upon Maggie's trembling form with a longing that couldn't be shaken. The curve of her mouth was beckoning to him in a manner that sent him reeling with madness, each intake of breath that she made also causing his gaze to fall to the gentle rising and falling of her bosom.

To hell with that Jeff Clark -- Willie would never hurt Maggie, of that he was certain. Why did it always seem as if men never knew a good thing when it was right in front of them? Especially when said 'good thing' was Maggie Evans, the woman he'd wanted ever since her arrival at Collinwood?

Careful to avoid gazing into her eyes, Willie turned about on his heel and slumped his shoulders forward. "Rain's comin' down pretty hard now" he observed.

"Yes" Maggie agreed, "I pray that it won't last _too_ long, though, or else we might be forced to stay here all night."

Willie balked at her words, his stomach fluttering with the excitement over possibly spending all evening with the alluring governess. Anxiously licking his lips, he nodded before leaning back against the wall. As he did so, the light at the top of the middle beam flickered out, his eyes widening in surprise as he found himself surrounded by nothing but darkness.

"Willie?" Maggie meekly called. "Willie, where are you?"

"I'm right here, Maggie" he gently assured her, nearly jumping straight out of his skin the moment her hand gingerly touched his own.

He heard her sigh in relief, then utter, "Oh, good, there you are...I can hardly see an inch in front of my face!"

"Better see a doc about that" Willie gibed, barely able to keep the nervousness from his voice as she continued to hold his hand.

Maggie, however, didn't even seem to notice his emotional disposition, her tone completely playful as she teased, "If you keep up those jesting remarks, _you'll_ be the one needing a doctor after I'm through with you, Willie."

In accordance with her words, a great clap of thunder sounded overhead, the governess' gaze suddenly softening once she remembered why Willie had even been in the hospital in the first place. "You really _do_ care, don't you?" she whispered, completely unable to keep the tears from coming to her eyes. "You could've died for me, and even after all that's happened, I can somehow see you doing it all over again."

Willie gave a start at the abrupt subject change. "Oh, w-well, uh...that was nothin', Maggie -- I-I mean, your life wasn't nothin' or anything, b-but if it hadn't been me, it woulda been somebody else."

"I don't think so" Maggie argued. "I mean, after I've had all this time to think about it, I seriously believe that Jeff only came to the island for the glory of saving me. The way he's been behaving lately makes me feel as if he doesn't love me, anymore...as if I'll never be loved, again."

Nearly as soon as these words left Maggie's lips, her eyes became alight with a newfound hope, her voice soft and gentle as she tentatively beseeched, "Willie...do you think...? I mean, would you be willing to do me a huge favor?"

"Well sure, Maggie" he agreed. "I can't think a' nothin' that'd be too big for you."

Biting her lip, Maggie gingerly approached the servant before placing either of her hands on his chest. "Willie" she slowly began, "Willie, I need you to love me -- ever since I was a young girl I had the full intention of waiting for marriage, but I honestly don't believe that Jeff cares for me as much as you do."

Willie felt his cheeks grow hot. "W-w-w-what? M-Maggie, no! You don't know what you're sayin'! I-I mean, I know you're real upset about Jeff an' all, but you don't want me -- I _know_ you don't!"

"And who are you to tell me who I do and do not want, Willie?" Maggie demanded, her eyes pleadingly searching his amidst the dim lighting. "These past few days have shown me just how much I really _do_ care for you... You're the only one on this earth who can make my first time both memorable and loving, so _please_...make love to me."

"Maggie..." Swallowing, Willie felt something stir within him at the thought of losing himself inside her warmth, his eyes closing as he felt the governess place a tender kiss at the corner of his mouth. "M-Maggie, please -- w-we can't, 'cause..."

"I want to" the governess argued, gently nuzzling his cheek as she melded her body snugly against his.

Groaning, Willie found it harder to deny her request the longer she pressed her supple, inviting breasts and hips against his trembling form, his hands fisting the cloth of her dress as she began claiming the flesh of his jaw and neck with the fire of her plush lips.

At that moment, something deep inside Willie seemed to snap, his fingers twisting through Maggie's dark locks as he forcefully crashed his lips to hers and backed her up toward the stable wall. Whimpering, Maggie angled her mouth to better accommodate the servant's administrations, her breasts tightening as she felt him nibble on her chin and wrench her hips impatiently against his own.

"Willie" she breathed, "Willie, wait...we can't do this here."

The servant stared back at her dumbly, yet he seemed to understand her meaning once she turned around and began to ascend the ladder to the loft. As he shakily followed her on unsteady limbs, neither lover took note of the foreboding shadow in the window...

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"Maggie?" Casting the glow of his flashlight about the estate, Jeff impatiently hugged himself as the rain continued to pelt him relentlessly from above. His fiancé had been gone for well over three hours, and now that she had yet to return to the estate, he was seriously beginning to worry about her.

_'Maybe she's still with Willie'_ he thought, nodding as if to verify this fact. _'As much as I hate to admit it, I'd rather she were with him than by herself...'_

In accordance with Jeff's thoughts, the brittle snap of a twig jolted him to attention. Whirling around, the blonde moved to shine his flashlight in the direction of the noise, only to let out a strangled gasp the moment a hand clamped firmly about his throat...


	4. A New Kind of Love

**CH 4: A New Kind of Love**

With shaking hands, Maggie unfastened the final button to her blouse before allowing it to slide down over her shoulders, her pale, smooth skin almost seeming to glow within the dim lighting of the stables as she reached for the pins in her hair. Uncoiling the bun with little skill, her auburn locks came cascading down her back in ripples of silk, her eyes softening as she turned to regard her lover with a fragile smile.

Willie was at a loss for words when he saw Maggie's perfect form, his insides quivering the moment she wrapped her arms about his waist and rested her head fondly beneath his chin. Allowing hesitant hands to caress her soft skin, he then discovered that she felt very much like that of fine silk. Willie, on the other hand, had rough, almost sandpapery hands, his great fear now being that her delicate flesh would catch on his own if he wasn't careful. He didn't want to hurt her.

_Ever._

Gently running a hand along the curve of Maggie's cheek, Willie placed his lips tenderly against her forehead before pulling her close against his chest. "Aw, Maggie" he breathed, "are ya sure this is whatcha want? I mean, just look atcha…you're shakin' like a leaf!"

Indeed, Maggie's being was quivering and quaking far worse than anything she had ever experienced, yet the moment she locked eyes with Willie's concerned gaze, her heart began to palpitate not from fear, but from gratitude. Linking her arms about the servant's neck, Maggie fondly nuzzled his cheek before whispering, "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for all that you've done for me, Willie, but at the very least I can give you tonight…"

In accordance with these words, the governess shyly unclasped her bra and allowed it to fall carelessly at her side, her hands now framing Willie's face as she leaned in and gave him a sweet and gentle kiss.

Willie groaned as he felt her tongue rove gently across his own, his arms clasping her close to him amidst their passionate desperation as he slowly lowered her down into the hay. Panting against her silken lips, the servant stroked her face as his free hand began to tentatively ascend the length of her leg, his fingers now teasing the waistband of her panties as she pulled him down for a warm and drugging kiss. Everything about Maggie's movements were slow and deliberate, including the way she'd innocently roll her hips beneath his enflamed member and make him desire her all the more.

With her name escaping his lips like a prayer, Willie kissed Maggie's eyes, nose and mouth as his trembling fingers grasped at her panties, his gaze now meeting with hers as he silently asked permission to do what he currently viewed as the unthinkable. Willie had never viewed sex as a tender act of love or the art of spiritual connection, but now that he had Maggie…

He closed his eyes. Oh God, he really _did_ love her, didn't he? The longer he held her, the greater the fire blossomed within his heart and soul, his inner demons driving him to an inexplicable madness that was only cured by Maggie's painfully alluring touch.

When he and Maggie continued to just stare at one another in silent adoration, Willie finally broke the silence by asking what had long since been plaguing his mind. "M-Maggie" he began, his bottom lip quivering amidst his anxiety, "do ya want me to…? I-I mean, I don't wanna hurtcha or nothin', a-and I thought I could…um…"

Placing a finger over his lips, Maggie slowly shook her head before giving him an affectionate look with her eyes. "You're very sweet, Willie, but you don't have to do that for me…I'd actually prefer to experience this the way that it's meant to be experienced, no matter how painful that might be." Now taking his hand in hers, she added lowly, "And I know that this may seem very wrong and against all normal laws of propriety, but I'm _so_ relieved that someone I trust will be the one to introduce me to something so beautiful."

Willie gave her a bemused look. "Huh? Y-ya mean you don't trust Jeff?"

Maggie appeared as if she'd been burned by his words, her tone full of hurt and desperation as she begged, "Please…let's not bring him into such a monumental moment of my life."

"B-but it's important 'cause I need ta know why-"

Hooking an arm about Willie's neck, Maggie shamelessly cut him off by devouring his lips in a fierce, demanding kiss, her free hand grasping the material of his shirt as she began to lift it over his back.

Breaking free of the kiss, Willie assisted Maggie in getting his shirt the rest of the way off, his eyes closing in sensual euphoria once she began to fan several feather-light kisses across his neck and chest. Once her hands brushed across the stitches on his back, however, he couldn't help but freeze abruptly in place, his terrified gaze meeting with Maggie's as she placed a shaking hand against his cheek and bit back her tears.

"Oh, Willie" she whispered, the tenderness in her voice causing his heart to ache, _"why_ did you do it?" When he just stared back at her, Maggie pulled him in for a bruising kiss that screamed of her gratitude and affection, her lips soon breaking free of his in order to ghost along his shoulder as she turned her attention toward the button of his charcoal-gray trousers.

It was with an alluring gentleness that Maggie managed to remove his pants and undergarments, Willie's blue-gray eyes shining with a warm duskiness as she slid into his lap and enveloped him with yet another searing kiss. Rolling his hips impatiently beneath her clothed womanhood, Willie felt a momentary sense of pride once she released a shudder-filled moan that sent chills of want and desire flowing directly through his being.

Shakily removing her skirt and panties, Maggie kicked them off to the side before resituating herself in Willie's lap, their eyes meeting in a moment of tenderness as the servant fondly framed her face with his hands and leaned in for a quick, yet sensual kiss.

Brushing her mouth lightly against his, Maggie dug her nails into his shoulders as she began to gradually impale herself upon him, her head tossing back with a pained shout before Willie muffled her impassioned cry with his lips. Drowning amidst his heated kiss, Maggie released several pained mewls into his open mouth as the pain began to transform into that of pleasure, her tongue caressing his own as her hips swiveled about and mimicked her lover's alluring movements.

Gasping due to the thrilling, undulating jolts of passion that were continuously crashing through his veins, Willie tangled his fingers through Maggie's soft hair and forced her down onto her back. Hearing her moan her need of him, he shakily began to drive his hips forward with as much gentleness as he could muster, yet the moment Maggie begged him to go faster, he couldn't help but abandon his tenderness and thrust with the maddening need that had been plaguing him since the beginning of their coupling.

Crying out due to the sudden change of pace, Maggie wound her legs about Willie's hips and gently pleaded with him to do whatever he wished with her. She felt, after all, that by this point there was nothing that she wouldn't willingly do for him.

Feeling tears in his eyes, Willie drew Maggie in for yet another kiss so that she wouldn't see how moved he'd been by her words, a shuddering moan escaping his throat the moment he filled her with his essence and collapsed a top her heaving bosom.

"_God,_ I love you…"

Willie froze, his head now rising from Maggie's breasts so that he could look her directly in the eye. With a fluttering excitement in his soul, he dared to inquire, "W-w-what didja just say, Maggie?"

Blushing fiercely, the governess stubbornly looked to the side so that she couldn't see his eyes, her tone almost frantic as she replied, "Nothing…I-I said nothing."

Appearing to be hurt, Willie gave a dejected 'alright' before dutifully lying back down beside her. As he drew Maggie into his arms, she felt tears of pain and confusion beginning to stream slowly down her cheeks.

'_Oh, why did I do that?'_ she wondered, still inwardly kicking herself for the major slip-up. _'I know it's customary to want to feel love toward your first counterpart, but Willie Loomis? I don't love him – I could __**never **__love him!"_

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Barnabas Collins smirked as he continued to stand before his newest slave, his voice cold and calculating as he began, "We have much to do, my friend, and although I don't tend to deviate from my plans, I have decided that I am completely willing to allow you your revenge."

Jeff gave his overseer a dazed look. "Revenge? I…I'm afraid I don't understand…"

"Don't you?" Barnabas innocently inquired. Sneering, he explained, "As we speak, your charming fiancé and my former servant are partaking in the joys of the flesh, my dear Mr. Clark. It would appear that Miss Evans isn't as pious as you once thought her to be." As these words left the vampire's lips, his eyes flashed dangerously with what could only be translated as jealousy. He was still quite miffed with Willie for having helped kill him, but the fact still remained that he also still desired Maggie Evans all for himself.

Despite the fact that Jeff's mind was slightly muddled, Barnabas' words managed to instill him with a hellish fury that burned all the way down to his fingertips. With cold eyes, he demanded, "What must I do?"

Barnabas chuckled. "Patience, my friend – good things come to those who wait."

**A/N:** I was _clearly _in a romantic mood when I wrote this since I've never really written 'tender' love scenes before, but I figured it was more fitting than my typical 'strip-and-screw' style. Forgive me if that was a tad crude, heh. I guess it was because I watched "Beauty & the Beast" today, and that's all sweet and romantic, so voila, this now is, too. lol But anywhos, your precious Barnabas is back, and with him comes trouble! Poor Willie and Maggie…their lives suck so bad. :-P


	5. The Light at the End of the Tunnel

**A/N:** I apologize in advance for the fluffedy (fluff/tragedy), craptastic nature of this chapter. Hopefully you enjoy it, anyway… ;0P

**CH 5: The Light at the End of the Tunnel**

It was with a gentle sweetness that Willie pressed his lips to Maggie's temple, a goofy little grin forming across his face when she subconsciously reached out to him amidst her slumber. Running his hands reverently along her soft skin, he fanned several kisses along her neck and shoulder before placing one final one against the coolness of her forehead. At long last, Maggie gave a reaction, her bleary eyes opening before resting upon the face of the one man who was so intent on loving her.

"Willie" she whispered, the color immediately draining from her cheeks. Was it morning, _already?_

"Hey" he greeted softly, his hand clasping her own as he pressed his forehead to hers. "You feelin'alright?"

Maggie blushed, but she found herself nodding in spite of herself. "Yes…I-I mean, what time is it?"

"Does it really matter?" Willie mumbled, his eyes retaining a pathetically hopeful look as he brushed back a lock of her hair. "Didja want me ta take ya back ta Collinwood so you can rest in a proper bed? I know this hay ain't very comfortable, but if not…" He smiled at her almost shyly. "Well…I-I mean, I wouldn't mind stayin' with ya for a little while longer, if you'd like."

Willie's words plummeted Maggie into a cold chasm of dismay, her head turning to the side so that she couldn't meet with his expectant gaze. "No" she finally argued, "I don't want to stay here any longer…I really _should_ be getting back now."

"Oh, well sure, just lemme get dressed an' I'll-"

"Do _nothing"_ Maggie coolly interjected, her sharp gaze cutting into the servant's heart as she pushed him abruptly away. "I'm going back to Collinwood by _myself,_ Willie – I don't need you to do everything for me like I'm some child!"

Willie's hurt features contorted into that of despair as he gave a weak nod of the head. He _knew_ this would happen. Somehow he had sensed that after their little tryst was over that Maggie would return to Jeff, and in so doing end up refusing to acknowledge the passion that they'd shared. This, above all else hurt Willie more than anything in the world, fore last night had meant a great deal to his jaded heart. Never before had he worried about the woman in his arms or whether or not she were being pleasured, but once that woman was Maggie, he couldn't help but completely mend his ways. Whether she liked it or not, she had officially introduced him to the warm security of caring for others – an emotion that he was rarely permitted in life. The way he saw it, Maggie was his, and he'd be damned if she didn't see it, too.

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Maggie hugged herself as she walked, all along fighting off tears of frustration and disappointment as she found her thoughts once more drifting to that of Willie Loomis. She hadn't meant to be so cruel to him – _honest,_ she hadn't! – but the moment she'd felt the warmth of his touch, she had grown terribly frightened. The feelings he evoked stirred deep within her soul and set her free, yet she somehow found that she was far too fearful to let go and discover what it was that had made her feel so content in his arms.

Brushing back a stray lock of hair, Maggie cast her saddened gaze up toward the empty house towering before her. It had once been the home to a lovely, kind-hearted family, but now all that remained were the remnants of their broken dreams and despair. Elizabeth and David had moved to Boston, as was expected, but not before bequeathing Collinwood to Jeff and his fiancé. Maggie didn't like to feel ungrateful, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she wasn't particularly keen on living in a place that evoked so much pain and sorrow. And now that she'd done the unthinkable with Willie…

Maggie closed her eyes. Oh, how could she ever face Jeff, again? She knew that she'd been completely brash in her actions, but she also knew that a vast part of her soul felt a great sense of relief over having done what she did. When she'd lain in Willie's arms, she'd felt more contentment and love than she'd ever known, and far more amazing still, all that love had been for _her._ Now more than ever Maggie felt a sharp sense of remorse, her eyes lowering to her feet as she shamefully opened the front door and crossed the threshold.

"Jeff?" she called, perhaps a tad meeker than she had originally intended. "Jeff, darling, where are you? I tried finding you, but…"

_"Maggie?"_ The voice was tired and strained, Jeff's visage soon following suit as he entered the room in a cold-like manner. Observing her disheveled appearance with distaste, he growled out, "Where the hell've you been?"

"In town visiting with the Walsh's" Maggie lied, her teeth biting into the soft pad of her lower lip as he took yet another step forward. "I would've returned earlier, darling, but sweet Mrs. Walsh wouldn't hear of my coming back in such bad weather."

Jeff gave a humorless chuckle. "Oh, is that so? 'Cause I heard from a different source that you were cheating on me yesterday evening with a Mr. William Loomis."

Maggie felt her cheeks grow hot at this insinuation, her voice failing her as she squeaked, "No…i-it's nothing like that, because-"

"Do you love him, Maggie?"

"W…_what?"_

"Do you _love_ him!?" Jeff reiterated, grabbing her by the shoulders before giving her a fierce shake.

Bursting into tears, Maggie wailed, "Oh, Jeff, what's come over you? I don't understand this ridiculous interrogation at _all!"_

"Don't you?" he fished, now allowing his gaze to rove across a particularly large love bite on her neck. To his revulsion, he found that she was covered in them, his eyes narrowing as he reared back and cruelly clocked her across the face.

Placing a trembling hand against her stinging cheek, Maggie stared up at him in mute horror, for never before had he touched her in such a vile and cold-hearted manner. She was about to demand why he had struck her when her gaze suddenly landed upon his neck, her eyes widening upon her horrifying discovery as she hissed, "No…how is it possible!? Barnabas is _dead!"_

"Am I, now?"

Crying out, Maggie whirled around in order to find the man of her innermost fears standing proudly before her, her hands drawing up toward her face as she released a blood-curdling scream. "No" she sobbed, "no, it isn't true, it _isn't!_ Willie and Jeff _killed_ you!"

"Which was a farce, as you can see" Barnabas mockingly returned, his attention now diverting to Jeff as he ordered, "Take her up to her room. We cannot have her roaming about when she is clearly on the verge of hysterics."

"No" Maggie begged, "please don't!" Turning to her fiancée and grasping desperately at his arms, she pleaded, "Jeff, my darling, _please_ don't do this – you know as well as I do that he's got you under his control! If you'll just listen to me, you can fight it – I _know_ you can!"

Jeff momentarily appeared to be weighing his options, yet as soon as Maggie let her guard down, he took the opportunity to seize her by the waist and heft her up over his shoulder.

"No" the governess sobbed, "Jeff, _please_ don't do this!"

Smirking at the pathetic display, Barnabas coiled his pale fingers about the head of his cane before turning his attention over toward the window. It would be dawn soon, yet after that…_yes._

He smiled.

After the dawn was through, he would be free to reign over Collinwood as it had always been destined to be, and no one, especially pathetic little servants, would be able to stop him.

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Drying her eyes, Maggie continued to sit sniffling upon her bed, her gaze softening with hope once several golden beams of sunshine began to creep in past her window. With that glorious sunlight present, Barnabas could not enter – he could not harm her.

Acting almost as a contradiction to this thought, the door handle to her bedroom door began to turn slowly, Maggie's eyes widening as she rose from her bed in sheer terror. "No" she pleaded, "Stay away from me!"

The lock defiantly unfastened in response, the door creaking open in order to reveal the shadowy figure on the other side. The moment the being stepped forward and into the light, however, Maggie couldn't help but release an elated cry as she went racing straight into its arms. "Oh, Willie!" she sobbed, "How did you find me here? How on earth did you manage to unlock the door?"

Thoroughly surprised by her outburst, the servant returned matter-of-factly, "Well this is your room, ain't it? I figured that this'd be just as good a place as any ta look an' see if you were ok." Smiling, he added, "And as for the keys, didja forget that I'm the caretaker of the house, or somethin'? I couldn't very well fix the place up if I didn't have a set a' these, ya know."

Wiping at her eyes, Maggie fearfully insisted, "Never mind all that right now, Willie – we have to get out of here before it's too late…before _he_ comes back!"

"Who?" the servant demanded, genuinely confused. "Whaddaya talkin' about, uh? Maybe you're just upset…"

"No" Maggie argued, frantically shaking her head, "it's Barnabas, Willie – he's come back!"

Feeling as if a bucket of ice had dropped directly over his head, Willie began to shiver and shake as he shook his head in denial. "What? N-n-no…i-it can't be! Why're ya tryin' a' scare me like this, uh? It ain't funny, Maggie, c-cuz you know as well as I do that we killed 'im!"

"I'm _not_ lying, Willie – I wish to _God_ that I were, but I'm not!" the governess mournfully insisted. Now taking him by the hand, she added, "How else do you think I got locked up in my own room? Barnabas has control over Jeff, and in so doing was able to keep me up here against my own will."

Willie's features hardened. "Where's Barnabas now?"

"I don't know" Maggie admitted, "but I'm afraid that Jeff will discover us at any moment if we're not careful…"

Drawing her shaking form into his arms, Willie forced all of his fears to the corner of his mind as he gently assured her, "Now don'tcha worry, Maggie, c-cuz I'll protect ya – one way or another, I'll take care a' this." Even as he said these words, he knew the true gravity of their meaning, his eyes softening as he realized that he would be putting his life on the line for the woman that he loved once more.

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By the process of elimination, Willie had determined that Barnabas' coffin was somewhere within the walls of Collinwood, so now, with a flashlight in hand, he began to descend the steps to the basement with quivering knees. In his other hand he clutched the black medicine bag that Professor Stokes had used for Carolyn's execution, his teeth gnawing into his lower lip as he flicked the case open and glanced inside. Garlic, communion wafers, a stake, a hammer, and a crucifix all laid before him in waiting, the humorous side of the servant causing him to chuckle once he realized that this would be the first time he'd ever used such religious objects. Stokes had explained how the wafers would keep a vampire from passing any entryway once ground into paste, so it was this that Willie planned on using to keep Barnabas in his coffin for all eternity.

Waving his flashlight toward the far end of the room, the servant felt his heart pounding fearfully within his chest at the sight of his former master's coffin, his legs feeling like gelatin as he tried his damndest to get them to move. When he remembered how frightened Maggie had been, however, his fear was miraculously pushed to the side like a bothersome insect as he finally approached the casket.

With sweaty fingers, Willie set the medicine bag down onto the floor before turning his attention toward the coffin lid, his teeth clenching as he tried his best to lift it. After a few moments, the stubborn lid successfully gave way, Willie's face growing pale upon spotting the sleeping form of his old master.

"Oh, God" he moaned, "he really _is_ back…"

Shaking his head, Willie then retrieved the wafers from the bag before turning them into paste, his fingers trembling as he wiped the mixture along the interior of the coffin in order to ensure that Barnabas would not be able to move. With this done, Willie then placed the crucifix upon Barnabas' forehead, the servant's bottom lip quivering as he realized that it was now time for the final step. With a feeling that was akin to a violent sickness, he bent over and removed the stake and hammer from the medicine bag before placing it over Barnabas' heart.

"Oh, God" Willie whimpered, only now realizing the irony of his statement. He didn't believe in God, what with the horrors that he'd been forced to experience throughout his life, yet the servant still found that now, more than ever before, that he wanted God to exist.

With a stammering heart, Willie raised the hammer high above his head, only to release a horrid cry the moment he felt the stitches along his back splitting completely asunder. Accompanied by that piercing pain was the damp warmth of his blood soaking into his white T-shirt, tears stinging along his lashes as he dropped the hammer to the floor with a metallic 'thunk'.

Dazedly whirling around, Willie's eyes widened as he found his harrowed gaze resting upon none other than Jeff Clark, a crazed grin crossing the man's lips as he continued to wield a bloody box cutter possessively within his taut grasp.

Taking a slight step back, Willie cautiously urged, "Easy now, buddy, just whaddaya think you're doin', uh? D-don'tcha wanna save Maggie from this monster?"

Jeff didn't answer him, the shadows in the room darkening the sharp contours of his face as his grin only widened in its intensity. With a horrid laugh, he lunged forward and charged at Willie's shocked form, the servant diving to the side just as Jeff's blade nicked the spot on the coffin where he'd been leaning against just moments before.

Grabbing the hammer from off the floor, Willie leapt back up to his feet just as Jeff turned around. With yet another piercing battle cry, Jeff rushed toward Willie like an unstoppable, demonic force, the servant's hammer coming down just as the box cutter was viciously parried forward.

Simultaneously, both men released an agonized shout, Willie dropping the hammer as he staggered backward and pressed his hand against the deep gash across his stomach in order to keep his insides from spilling out. Breathing heavily, he dropped down to his knees as he struggled to see amidst his blood loss, his strained gaze coming to the realization that Jeff had been struck on the head and was now drowning in his own pool of blood.

With a groan, Willie curled up into the fetal position before coughing up globules of scarlet, his eyes closing as he envisioned Maggie's smiling face before him like a radiant beacon of hope.

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The frightful noises from the basement were what initially drew Maggie to investigate, her brows furrowing in concern as she slowly began to descend the rickety old steps. Willie had told her that he was going into town to pick up a few things, so what on earth could be making so much noise?

Holding her candle out before her, Maggie strained to see amidst the dim lighting as she reached the final stair. What she saw next, however, caused her to drop her candle amidst her terror, her screams reverberating throughout the still room as she rushed over to Willie's prostrate form and dropped down at his side. "Willie!" she sobbed, "Oh, God, what have you _done!?"_

When he didn't answer, Maggie cradled his head against her bosom and began to weep bitterly, a feeling of emptiness and despair consuming her so greatly that she was instantly reminded of her behavior earlier on that morning. She now knew why she felt as she did, but now…now it was far too late.

"Willie" Maggie beseeched, "oh, God, you can't leave me now – not when things are finally beginning to make sense!"

With a muffled groan, Willie cast his bleary eyes up toward Maggie's tearful ones, a small grin coming to his lips as he mumbled, "Hey, you came… Hell, maybe God and angels really _do_ exist, cuz I kept prayin' an' prayin that I could see ya one last time, an' now……here ya are."

"Don't you talk like that – you're _not_ going to die!" Maggie sharply insisted, her hand now interlocking with his as she began to noticeably quiver. "How can I be with you if you leave me, Willie? I…I finally realized…I mean…" She couldn't finish. Wrapping her arms fondly about his neck, she tried once more, "If you pull through this, I-I promise that I'll marry you, instead."

Willie was far too weak to feel as overjoyed at her words as he should have been, yet he still found it in himself to reach out a hand and touch her soft hair. "Don't be doin' me no favors, alright? I know I could never give ya whatcha need…not really, anyway."

Grasping at his invading appendages, Maggie placed his hand against her cheek before miserably sustaining, "But I don't need anything but _you…_ I'm just so sorry that it took me so long to realize that."

Willie smiled, but he appeared to be tired. "No real harm done, Maggie – I should know more than anyone that we all make mistakes, right?"

"Well yes, but-"

"Shh" he urged, "I think I need ta rest for a while…"

"No!" Maggie pleaded, "don't you _dare_ shut your eyes, Willie Loomis – you're going to fight this, you hear me!?" When he didn't respond, she frantically continued, "When you pull through this, we'll find a nice little house far, _far_ away from Collinwood…you'd like that, wouldn't you?" When he nodded, she continued, "And then we'll have to have a lovely little garden where the children can run and play, because I'm not about to have them wreck my dream house!"

Willie couldn't help but chuckle. "If you're gonna be a pain and insist on havin' brats, then just know that they're all gonna be lil' hellions like I was as a kid. Ain't there some stupid sayin' about how an apple falls close to a tree, or somethin'?"

"Yes, Willie, but don't trouble yourself about it" Maggie teased, now smoothing his hair as she pressed her forehead to his. "Don't worry, though, because I promise to be one of those slave wives who wears cute clothes and has dinner on the table each day by 5:30."

Willie smirked. "Well what if I want it at 5:29? That don't seem too fair, now does it? Oh! And won't _I_ need ta be buyin' said food and cute clothes? Cuz that doesn't seem like much of a deal, either…"

"We'll you'll have _me,_ won't you?" Maggie teasingly sustained, tears continuing to stream down her cheeks as she fondly framed his face with her hands.

Willie's gaze softened as he smiled up at her, his lashes growing heavy as he conceded, "Yeah……it's always been you, ya know that, Maggie? I never coulda been with anybody else."

"Willie, you're talking funny, again" Maggie warned, her pulse quickening as he grasped languidly at her wrist.

"You won't forget about me, right?" he whispered, his features truly appearing to be at peace as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

"Why are you doing this?" Maggie sobbed. "Stop it, Willie, just _stop_ it! You're not going to die, dammit!"

Willie appeared to be sad now, his breathing growing all the more laborious as he insisted, "I know it sounds weird, but after all this time, I guess I really ain't as afraid ta die as I thought I'd be. I-I mean, even if I go now, I'll have finally really lived since somebody actually cared, Maggie – you gave a damn when nobody else would. Most people in the world die alone without their loved ones by their side, but not me…" Grasping her hand tighter, he added, "At least that's the one thing I haven't been cheated out of in life…"

"Willie…_no…"_ Bursting into tears, Maggie pressed her cheek to his before sobbing, "I don't want you to leave me just yet – you can't go, _please!_ I love you!"

At that moment, it felt as if a gun had gone off inside her, the relief over finally having admitted what she did resounding deep within her soul as she snuggled further into his embrace and heaved a shaking sigh. "D-did you hear what I said?" she asked, now gazing down upon his pallid face with an insurmountable stitch of dread. "You can't leave me now, because we both still have so much to live for!"

"I ain't goin' nowhere, not really" he gently assured her, the faded vitality in his tone bringing her a pang of fright. "Even if ya can't see me, I promise that…that…" With a feeble shudder, Willie Loomis breathed his last breath, Maggie releasing a hysterical sob as she felt him slump lifelessly against her bosom.

No…he couldn't be dead! He just _couldn't!_ Not when she finally realized that it had been _Willie_ whom she needed – Willie whom she loved!

Gently reclining his body back onto the blood-stained floor, Maggie caressed the coolness of his cheek before pressing the softness of her lips to his forehead, her heart growing heavy as it then occurred to her as to what she must do.

It hadn't taken Maggie very long to figure out Willie's earlier intentions, so it was with a quickening pulse that she retrieved the bloody hammer from off of the floor. Picking up the stake with her free hand, the governess then resituated the slab of wood over Barnabas' heart before bringing the hammer down with all her strength. Amidst the vampire's agonized cries, Maggie continued to pound the stake into him with all that she had, her tears blinding her vision as she continued to see Willie's enervated form during his final moments. This only caused Maggie to strike the stake harder, her legs finally giving out beneath her as she dropped down to her knees and wept.

"Oh, God, oh, _God…"_

Feeling her tears streaming in hot torrents down her cheeks, the governess dejectedly crawled back over to Willie before throwing herself across his still form, her fingers clutching at the coarse material of his T-shirt as her tears began to soak into the fabric. As she laid there, she half expected to feel his hand run through her hair like he did when she was upset, but alas, no such act of affection came. Willie Loomis was gone…

**A/N:** Ugh, I think I must've taken "writer's poison" when I wrote this, because it was all CRAP! –sigh- Oh well, because I can't see myself improving upon this, considering the fact that I've got so much else to do. :-/ Initially, it WAS sad in my mind's eye, but whenever I went to transcribe it onto paper, it just wasn't working. Ain't it just GREAT when things work out like that? lol Believe it or not, there IS one more chapter, so hopefully this one hasn't turned you off to keep you from reading the epilogue! ;-P


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Maggie sighed as she continued to relax after a long day of work, her feet propping on the coffee table in front of her as she leaned her head back and groaned. She never would've dreamed of treating the furniture in this manner at Collinwood, but now that she had bought her own home in Boston, she felt entitled to do whatever she pleased with her belongings.

"Mama, mama, watch me, watch me!"

Maggie jolted to a start upon this sudden exclamation, her gaze then moving toward her five-year-old son as he continued to bounce up and down on the adjacent chair.

"Will, darling, please don't do that" she urged. "You know by now that you'll ruin mommy's upholstery if you continue jumping around like a monkey."

"But mama, I can _fly!"_ the child insisted amidst his dismay. "Just watch me, _pleeeease?"_

Maggie couldn't help but smirk as she rose from her perch, her eyes containing abundant maternal love as she moved over and swept her son off the chair before he could think to jump. Kissing his cheek, Maggie laughed as William disgustedly wiped at the offending area, her lips now at his ear as she remarked, "You really _are_ a little monkey, aren't you? Who knew that your father's insight would be so dead-on?"

And right Willie was. Although Maggie didn't think that William was a 'little hellion', as Willie had so eloquently predicted, her son was far from being an angelic paradigm of good manners. With his proud, yet soft features, dirty blonde hair, and vibrant hazel eyes, Maggie felt as if every time she beheld her son that she was actually gazing upon her departed lover. For this reason she would often fall into the depths of despair, for she knew that she could never again love as she had before. Willie had cared more for her than any man that she'd ever met, yet life had been cruel enough to snatch him from her clutches at the precise moment that she'd made that startling revelation.

Kissing her son yet again, Maggie smiled down at him before asking, "Would you like me to read you a story before you take your nap?"

William made a face at the prospect of the 'dreaded nap', yet he nodded nonetheless as he looked up at his mother in expectance.

Smiling, Maggie gave a warm "alright" before opening the door and stepping out into the hallway, her gaze failing to catch sight of the shadow in the corner of the room that had been watching them so attentively.

Giving a smile of his own, the specter glanced over toward the table that held the picture of his would-be wife and son, his blue-gray eyes softening as he stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.

**A/N:** Sorry for the cop-out, but I honestly lost inspiration for the last chapter...hopefully it was still ok!


End file.
